The invention is concerned with an occupant protection device for fastening in a vehicle seat with a receiving container for an airbag.
An occupant protection device of this type is known, for example, from German patent document no. DE 196 25 436 (incorporated by reference herein). The previously known occupant protection device has a receiving container in which an inflatable airbag is stored. The receiving container is closed by a covering cap. The covering cap has a predetermined breaking point in the form of a groove in its central region. The covering cap breaks open at this predetermined breaking point as soon as the airbag is inflated in the event of a vehicle accident and exerts a corresponding internal pressure on the covering cap. In the previously known occupant protection device, the seat cover is provided with an opening slot in the region of the covering cap of the receiving container. When inflating, the airbag can pass through the seat cover through this slot and can be deployed outside the vehicle seat. The seat cover is fastened in the region of its slot to the covering cap of the receiving container, specifically in such a manner that the two subregions of the seat cover which are separated by the slot are fastened to the covering cap on different sides of the predetermined breaking point. This fastening of the seat cover to the covering cap has the effect that, when the airbag is inflated, the covering cap which breaks open at the predetermined breaking point opens the slot of the seat cover and allows the airbag “to pass”.
Another occupant protection device is described in German utility model DE 299 12 825 (incorporated by reference herein). In this previously known occupant protection device, a receiving container for an airbag is likewise provided. The receiving container has a covering part which can swing open and which covers the receiving container. The covering part is swung open by means of pulling means as soon as the airbag is inflated. In order to make it possible for the covering part to swing open, a hinge section is provided about which the covering part is pivoted when appropriately actuated by the pulling means.
A further occupant protection device is described in German utility model DE 296 01 257 (incorporated by reference herein). This previously known occupant protection device has a receiving container which receives an airbag and is closed by a covering cap. The covering cap is mounted in a manner such that it can rotate about a pivot axis and has tearing teeth on its outer side, which faces the seat cover. If the airbag is inflated, then, the airbag presses from the inside against the covering cap and pivots the cap outwards, as a result of which the tearing teeth of the covering cap tear open the seat cover and provide an opening for the airbag.